The European Solar Telescope (EST), promoted by the The European Association for Solar Telescopes (EAST), is a next generation large-aperture solar telescope. This 4-metre telescope will be optimised for studies of the magnetic coupling between the deep photosphere and upper chromosphere of the Sun. This will require diagnostics of the thermal, dynamic and magnetic properties of the plasma over many scale heights, by using multiple wavelength imaging, spectroscopy and spectropolarimetry. To achieve these goals, the EST will specialise in high spatial and temporal resolution using various instruments simultaneously that can efficiently produce 2D spectral information. EST will be located in Canary Islands (Spain), one of the first-class locations for astronomical observations. EST is listed on the ESFRI roadmap since 2016.The members of the European Association for Solar Telescopes are: - Institutsbereich Geophysik, Astrophysik und Meteorologie der Univ. Graz- Observatoire Royal de Belgique- Hvar Observatory, Hvar- Astronomical Institute AS CR, v.v.i.- INSU-CNRS, THEMIS S.L.- Kiepenheuer-Institut für Sonnenphysik, Freiburg- Max-Planck-Institut für Sonnensystemforschung, Göttingen- Leibniz-Institut für Astrophysik Potsdam- University College London - MSSL- National Observatory of Athens- Hungarian Solar Physics Foundation- Istituto Nazionale di Astrofisica, Rome- University of Catania- University of Rome Tor Vergata- University of Calabria- Foundation Dutch Open Telescope- Institute of Theoretical Astrophysics, Oslo- Astronomical Institute of the Wroclaw University, Wroclaw- Astronomical Institute of the Slovak, Academy of Sciences- Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias, La Laguna- Instituto de Astrofísica de Andalucía, Granada- The Institute for Solar Physics, Stockholm- Istituto Ricerche Solari Locarno